My Productivity System

Since is the first post of its type, I feel no shame in conducting some original research. I don't have a formal job right now- all my current freelance work is strictly short term- so I don't have a very set work schedule. So my productivity notes will be strictly Writing, Speech, and Schoolwork based

• Writing- With my writing, a big portion of "productivity" is sticking to a schedule. Even though I don't write professionally, I still like to keep up the quality of my work. So I have time blocked off every day to write; for this I use Google Calendar. In my personal calendar, I have my most creative time- between one and three, jacked up on caffeine- blocked off for serious writing every day. That means prose, letters, speeches, or essays. To keep my writing backed up, I use Dropbox. This is also handy because if I ever need to get reviews or feedback, I can get an easily share-able link. Highly recommend. To make sure that I'm actually on track, I use the Pomodoro Technique: which is essentially sprint working.You intensely for a short period of time, and then take a break. Very effective. To implement this, I use a Chrome extension: Strict Pomodoro. It blocks distracting sites while I work, and times me. To actually write, I use Focus Writer, a freeware tool from a great developer.
• Speech- Speech sometimes gets enveloped in writing, as I do indeed have to write speeches. However, there is a more fine grain approach to it. Starting with speech ideas, I use Evernote to keep track of any idea I have, tagged with which type of speech it is, and what season I'm hoping to use it for. Once the ideas are compiled, I forget them. Then, when I need a speech, there they are. After that, I use Google for research, and compile the research in Evernote, again. Tagged and in a separate notebook. Then I use my writing techniques to outline, write, draft, re-draft, and re-draft my speech. Pomodoro practice tops it off. Tournament schedules get plugged into Google Calendar, and since I need to pack the same things several times, I keep them separate and in a plastic storage bin. 
• One of my events is called Extemporaneous Speech, and for that I need to have articles from well respected publications available as sources. Since I only have 1/2 an hour to prepare, and no internet access, they have to be available on my computer in as organized a way as possible. Once again, Evernote. This system is complex, ordered list time!
1. Find source
2. Find RSS feed
3. Plug RSS feed into Full Feed Extractor (because some of them suck and only give previews)
4. Take new feed and plug it into If This, Then That. If This, Then That is a tool that automates web applications based on triggers. For example, if someone tags you in a photo on Facebook, it downloads the image to Dropbox. Highly recommend. In this case, I have a "New Feed Item" trigger, then it puts the feed item into Evernote
5. Make sure feed shows up in Evernote.
6. That's it
• Schoolwork- I do actually do my schoolwork! Those that know me will find this remarkable. Notes are all either typed directly into Evernote- every class has its own notebook- or transcribed out of a notebook. Evernote makes compiling exam reviews a breeze. Whenever I get an assignment, the due date is instantly put into Google Calendar, and I get reminders with a week left, a day left, twelve hours left, an hour left, and fifteen minutes left. It borders on paranoia/OCD, but it works. For physical handouts, printed material, and paper copies of notes, every class has a folder. They cost me $.50 from a dollar store.

That's it, that's how I manage being a college student.